Box fastener



3811- 21, 19351 c. E. GUSTAFSON ET AL 2,028,661

BOX FASTENER Filed Sept. 17, 1951 K'Vi 17 Patented Jan. 21, 1936 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE BOX FASTENER sachusetts Application September 17,1931, Serial No. 563,344

3 Claims.

This invention relates to fasteners and particularly to devices of thattype used for securing covers upon pasteboard boxes, fastening the flapsof envelopes in closed relationship and for similar purposes.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a fastener of thetype specified which will efiect a secure joiner of a box and its coverand which is easily operated to fasten or unfasten the two members.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fastener of the typespecified having its foldable clip or tongue constructed of loopedductile wire to provide for greater strength and security and at thesame time render it free from sharp edges liable to scratch or injurethe fingers of the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fastener of the typespecified embodying a sheetmetal plate having prongs or projectionsadapted to be clinched against the inside of the box or envelope toprovide for greater security with less chance of its becoming loosenedor disarranged.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fastener of the typespecified constructed from sheet-metal and standard wire stock easilyformed by a simple process and assembled with a minimum of handoperations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fastener of the typespecified which is particularly neat in appearance and durable forrepeated use over long periods of time.

Further objects of the invention are set forth in the followingspecification which describes several preferred forms of construction ofthe invention, by way of example, as illustrated by the accompanyingdrawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view representing a pasteboard mailing-box orcarton with its cover secured thereto by means of the present improvedfasteners;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view through the side of the boxillustrating the manner in which the improved fastener is attachedthereto;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the fastener showing the angular notches forreceiving the legs of the wire loop or tongue;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the improved fastener illustrating apreferred form of construction such as shown in the preceding views;

Fig. 5 is a rear view of a modified form of the fastener;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the same taken on line6-4: of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the same taken on line 11of Fig. 5.

The present improved fastener comprises, in general, a relatively thinsheet-metal plate having legs projecting outwardly at right-angles toits main portion and adapted to be pierced through the side of the boxor other container and clinched on the inside thereof to permanentlyattach the fastener thereto. Projecting upwardly from the plate-likebase is a tongue or clip formed of looped wire adapted to be insertedthrough a slit or opening in the cover of the box and to be folded overthe side thereof to temporarily secure the cover to the box. The tonguemay be secured permanently to the plate or basemember by any suitablemeans such as herein illustrated and later described. The looped wireconstruction of the tongue provides for greater security and rigidity inattaching covers on boxes, flaps on envelopes and for similar purposes.The wire construction also renders the tongue free from sharp edges orprojections and provides a means for attaching tags or labels to thebox.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 shows a carton or box 2 of conventionalmailing type having sides 3 over which the cover 5 is placed with itssides 6 overlying those of the box. The cover 5 is usually provided withslits or openings 1 for receiving the tongue or clip of the fastenerwhich is bent or folded down against the side 6 of the cover to fastenthe latter in place on the box as shown at the left in Fig. 1. In thislatter view of the drawing four fasteners are shown, one for each sideof the box, but it is to be understood that the number of fasteners mayvary according to the size and shape of the box or other container. I

Referring particularly to Fig. 4, the fastener l0 comprises thesheet-metal base or plate ll provided at its top and bottom with a pairof pointed projections or prongs l2 and I3 bent at right angles to itsmain portion. At the top of the member H is a third prong l4 centrallydisposed with respect to two adjacent outer prongs l2. The central prongI4 is of triangular shape with its edges lying opposite to andcooperating with those of the outer prongs I2 to form tapering slotsiii. The vertices of the tapering slots folded upwardly and clinchedaround the lower inwardly bent ends 23 of the wire loop or tongue 20when the parts are assembled in the manner as later explained.

The tongue or clip 28, before mentioned, comprises a single piece ofductile wire bent into a substantially hairpin-shaped loop with a curvedtop 22 and depending legs 2|. The terminal portions of the legs 2! arebent inwardly at their lower ends to form right-angled extensions 23which meet at their inner extremities.

To assemble the two members H and 20 it is only necessary to force thelegs 2| of the member 20 into the tapered slots 15 until they seat inthe rounded openings or recesses I6 provided for this purpose, see Figs.3 and 4, whereby they are firmly held against sideplay. The projectionsor ears I1 on the base-member I l are then folded upwardly and clinchedaround the right angled extensions 23 of the legs 2|, in the manner asillustrated in Fig. l, to securely clamp the lower ends of the legsthereto. The assembling of the two parts l0 and 20 may be accomplishedby a simple press operation in the manner as well known to those versedin the art. The two cooperating parts of the fastener are thus securelyjoined together to resist considerable strain and stress.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the improved fastener i0is applied to the side of the box by pressing the plate or base-memberI! thereagainst to pierce its prongs l3 through the pasteboard or othersoft material of the box with the prongs l2 and I l overlying the upperedges of the side. The prongs l3 are then bent or folded upwardly andthe prongs l2 and i4 folded downwardly to clinch them against the innerSide of the box as shown in Fig. 2. The fastener is thus securelyaffixed to the side of the box to resist any tendency to dislodge it.The ears ll together with the legs 21 of the loop 20 will be pressed orindented into the pasteboard or other soft material of the box by theclinching operation so that the fastener will lie closely against itsside. The fasteners may be applied manually to the box or automaticallyattached thereto by a simple operation in a boxfastening machine orother clinching apparatus.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 of thedrawing the fastener if!" comprises a base-member ll which isconstituted by a fiat plate having pointed prongs 25 at top and bottomemployed for the purpose of clinching the fastener to the box in themanner as previously explained. The main portion of the plate-member His punched with two pairs of circular holes 25 and the metal between theholes of each pair is slitted. The edge portions of the slits are thenforced outwardly substantially at right angles to the plane of the plateto form fins or splines 27, between which the legs Zi of a loop ortongue 2i) are positioned. The fins 21 are then bent inwardly to engageagainst the legs 21 see Figs. 5 and 6, to secure the tongue 20 fixedlyagainst the face of the member H As in the first described embodiment ofthe invention, the legs 2 l of the wire loop or tongue 2i! are bentinwardly at their lower extremities. The right angled extensions 23 ofthe legs abut the lower edges of the splines or fins 2! to preventvertical displacement of the loop or tongue. In this modified form ofthe invention the fastener is as strong and sturdy in construction anddurable in use as the form first described.

To fasten the cover 5 upon the box 2 it is placed thereover with theupwardly-extending tongues or loops on the fasteners passed through theslits or openings 1 in the cover 5 as shown at the right in Fig. 1. Thetongues are then bent or folded down over the sides of the cover as isthe usual practice in closing mailing boxes of the present type, the twoleft-hand fasteners being shown in this position in Fig. 1.

It will be observed from the foregoing that the present improvedfastener provides an extremely simple yet efficient device for thepurposes specified. The parts of the fastener may be stamped fromsheet-metal and cut from wire stock by a simple process and assembledwith a minimum of hand operations, to render the article economical tomanufacture. Moreover, the present fastener is particularly neat inappearance and durable in use.

A particular feature of the invention consists in making the body orbase of the fastener of sheet-metal with integral prongs adapted to beclinched to the box or other container to securely attach the fastenerthereto. The relatively wide fiat base of the fastener provides anextended bearing surface against the box so that there is less chance ofits becoming loose or displaced. This feature presents an improvementover similar devices of a previous type constructed wholly of wire, andliable to tear through the box when undue pressure is exerted thereon.

The present improved fastener is herein described as embodied in severalpreferred forms of construction, but it is to be understood that furthermodifications may be made in the form and arrangement of the componentparts of the device without departing from the spirit or scope of theinvention. Therefore, without limitation in this respect, we claim:

1. A fastener of the type specified comprising a sheet-metal late havingpointed prongs projecting at right .angles to the plane of its face, anda wire loop having its legs overlying the face of the plate andpositioned in the openings between adjacent prongs thereof with certainof said prongs bent around the ends of the loop to permanently attachthe latter to the plate.

2. In a fastener of the type specified, the combination of a sheet-metalplate having pointed prongs projecting at right angles to its face atits upper and lower edges, the openings between adjacent upper prongsbeing tapered toward the plate and formed with notches at their innerends, a wire loop having its legs overlying the face of the plate andheld in the notches between the edges of the prongs, and certain of thelower prongs bent around the ends of the legs of the loop to permanentlyattach it to the plate.

3. A fastener of the type specified comprising a relatively flatsheet-metal plate having a series of prongs along its upper and loweredges projecting at right angles to the face of the plate, the openingsbetween the upper prongs being formed with notches, and a wirehairpin-shaped loop having the extremities of its legs bent inwardly atright angles to their main portions, said loop being disposed with itslegs against the face of the plate and seated in the notches between theupper prongs with a pair of the lower prongs clinched around theinwardly-bent portions of the legs to attach the loop to the plate.

HARRY R. HOLBROOK. CARL E. GUSTAFSON.

